Written Answers Wednesday 2 April 2008

Education

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the highest qualifications were attained by school leavers in each year since 1994-95, expressed as a percentage of all school leavers and broken down into (a) none at NQ Level 3 or above, (b) one or two at SCQF Level 3, (c) three or four at SCQF Level 3, (d) five or more at SCQF Level 3, (e) one or two at SCQF Level 4, (f) three or four at SCQF Level 4, (g) five or more at SCQF Level 4, (h) one or two at SCQF Level 5, (i) three or four at SCQF Level 5, (j) five or more at SCQF Level 5, (k) one or two at SCQF Level 6, (l) three or four at SCQF Level 6, (m) five or more at SCQF Level 6, (n) one or two at SCQF Level 7 and (o) three or more at SCQF Level 7.

Fiona Hyslop: The available information is given in the following table.

  Highest Qualifications Attained by Leavers from Publicly-Funded Secondary Schools (Percentages)

  

 Year
 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Total Leavers (=100%)
 58,344
 56,834
 55,548
 57,178
 57,625
 57,108
 58,589
 57,588
 58,467
 57,773


 No NQ @ SCQF level 3 or better 
 5.4
 4.7
 4.6
 4.9
 4.6
 4.8
 4.2
 4.3
 4.0
 4.1


 1-2 @ SCQF Level 3
 0.9
 1.0
 0.8
 0.9
 1.0
 1.1
 1.0
 1.2
 1.3
 1.5


 3-4 @ SCQF Level 3
 0.7
 0.7
 0.6
 0.6
 0.6
 0.5
 0.5
 0.5
 0.5
 0.6


 5+ @ SCQF Level 3
 1.0
 0.8
 0.7
 0.6
 0.6
 0.5
 0.4
 0.4
 0.4
 0.4


 1-2 @ SCQF Level 4
 8.0
 7.6
 7.2
 6.7
 6.7
 6.6
 6.6
 6.2
 6.5
 6.7


 3-4 @ SCQF Level 4
 8.8
 8.5
 7.9
 7.3
 6.9
 6.9
 6.9
 6.9
 6.9
 6.6


 5+ @ SCQF Level 4
 13.0
 12.4
 11.5
 10.4
 9.4
 9.1
 8.7
 8.6
 8.2
 8.4


 1-2 @ SCQF Level 5
 13.0
 13.4
 14.3
 14.9
 14.8
 15.0
 15.0
 15.1
 15.1
 15.4


 3-4 @ SCQF Level 5
 3.9
 4.1
 4.8
 6.2
 6.9
 7.4
 7.5
 7.5
 7.5
 7.7


 5+ @ SCQF Level 5
 2.2
 2.1
 2.8
 4.1
 4.8
 5.5
 5.9
 6.2
 6.2
 6.5


 1-2 @ SCQF Level 6
 14.0
 13.8
 13.3
 12.3
 12.6
 12.5
 12.6
 12.8
 12.7
 12.8


 3-4 @ SCQF Level 6
 11.0
 11.5
 11.0
 10.4
 10.3
 9.6
 9.7
 9.6
 9.2
 9.0


 5+ @ SCQF Level 6
 8.5
 8.9
 10.1
 9.7
 9.5
 8.9
 8.6
 8.8
 8.9
 8.4


 1-2 @ SCQF Level 7
 8.9
 9.6
 9.5
 10.1
 10.2
 10.7
 11.1
 10.8
 11.3
 10.5


 3+ @ SCQF Level 7
 0.7
 0.9
 0.9
 0.9
 0.9
 1.1
 1.1
 1.1
 1.3
 1.4



  Data on the highest qualifications of school leavers are not available in the format requested prior to 1997-98. However, the publication Scottish School Leavers and their Qualifications: 1986-87 to 1996-97 (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/statbull/ste2-00.htm) provides information on standard grade and higher awards obtained by leavers in that period.

Schools

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish a proposal for legislation on protecting rural schools.

Maureen Watt: We intend to publish a set of proposals for comment in the form of a Consultation Paper at the end of April.